


Crossing Time

by Frosty_Skies



Category: Teen Titans (Animated Series)
Genre: But it's okay because Red X is fixing it, Character Death, F/M, I promise, Identity Reveal, Robfire forever, Starfire dies in the future, Time Travel, no beta we die like robins
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-20
Updated: 2020-09-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:55:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26003005
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Frosty_Skies/pseuds/Frosty_Skies
Summary: Red X expected to be caught at some point, but never this soon. How will the Teen Titans react to his true identity, and where does he go from here? Has his mission been compromised by their discovery?And more importantly, will the Titans ever forgive him?
Relationships: Dick Grayson & Koriand'r, Dick Grayson & Koriand'r & Garfield Logan & Raven, Dick Grayson & Wally West, Dick Grayson/Koriand'r, Jinx/Wally West
Comments: 3
Kudos: 19





	1. Caught Red-Handed

The December night was chilly, and the thin metal walls of the warehouse did little to keep any heat in. Fortunately for Red X, he had grown up in a cold environment, making California’s winter seem like a budding spring day. He could hear the rain drum on the flimsy roof, almost drowning out the sounds of footsteps running after him.

Almost.

“X!” The small, brightly clothed teenager known as Robin called as he rounded a corner in front of the felon. “We can do this the easy way, or the hard way. Come quietly and you won’t get hurt.”

Red X narrowed his eyes and continued running, jumping onto a pile of crates. “Catch me if you can, _kid_.”

Robin pulled out his staff and extended it. “Guess it’s the hard way then.”

The older man rolled his eyes under the mask. _He takes everything so seriously._ He ran along the tops of the crates with Robin following in hot pursuit. He felt a birdarang whiz past his ear. _That was a little too close for comfort._ He quickly created an x on the back of his hand and twisted around, throwing it at Robin while backflipping off of the edge of the wall of crates. Much to his satisfaction, before the boy vanished from his line of sight he witnessed the x expand around him and retract, becoming sticky and trapping his arms to his sides.

He landed in a crouch on the floor, a smirk tugging at his lips. _One down, four to go._

Just as the thought crossed his mind, a green panther and a skimpily dressed flying girl with pinkish-red hair came speeding towards him. He flipped over Beast Boy, tagging his back with an exploding x. A foaming sound and a yelp from behind notified him of his plan’s success.

“Hey, cutie.” He dodged around the starbolts the Tamaranian viciously shot at him. One of them grazed his arm, leaving a burning sensation. Hissing from the pain, he threw an energy x at her. It hit its mark, causing red bolts of light to flash around her. She screamed in pain and fell to her knees, battling the stinging pain. A small wave of guilt washed over him before he reminded himself of his mission. _She’s not my starfire. I_ can’t _let them catch me._

Red X heard a whooshing sound from behind him and turned around, coming face-to-face with Raven and Cyborg - well, more like their upper bodies. They were still emerging from a portal made by the cloaked girl.

“Azarath metrion -”

She was cut short by large boxes being pulled from their places by an expanding/retracting x and plummeting down on top of her and Cyborg.

 _Great, that’s all of them. Robin has probably already broken free, which gives me about two minutes to grab what I need and go._ He turned and was about to make a beeline for section C, when he felt a sharp pain in his head. _Oh, sh-_ His train of thought was stopped as everything faded to black.

* * *

Red X awoke to a dull throbbing in the back of his head and the feeling of something - most likely rope - keeping his hands and feet together. Blinking open his eyes, he noted that he was still in the same warehouse where he had fought the Teen Titans minutes - or was it hours? He had no clue how much time had passed since then - ago. He tested the bonds restraining his hands, concluding that they were indeed secure. It would take him a few minutes to free himself. He also noticed that he was still wearing his mask, so whoever had knocked him out presumably didn’t know his identity. Yet. He breathed out a sigh of relief. _Safe for now._

“Hey, he’s awake!”

The prisoner’s head whipped around to where the voice had originated from, taking in the Teenage team of heroes he had been fighting earlier standing in the shadows. Watching him. Judging from the squeaky-ness of the voice, its owner was Beast Boy.

“So...you’re going to unmask him now. Right?” Red X stiffened. He recognized that voice, but not as one of the Titans. Stepping out from behind a stack of boxes, the speaker revealed himself to be a Caucasian with orange-ish brown hair, and wearing a predominantly yellow suit with red accents.

_Wally._

“Yes,” Robin confirmed. The felon felt his chest tighten with distress at this news. He quickly and quietly began working at the ropes binding his hands, knowing all too well he wouldn’t be fast enough.

“Ooh! Ooh!” Beast Boy jumped up and down. “I bet he’s Jason Todd!”

He rolled his eyes under his mask. There the young hero went again with his conspiracy theories.

Robin approached him, reaching for the helmet covering his face. Red X shied away, working on his bonds at an inhuman speed.

But all his efforts were in vain.

There was a clicking sound, the feeling of cold air against his face, and a collective gasp from the entire audience.

“The Red X is...still Robin?” The alien girl asked, confused.

“He’s not me.” Robin frowned. “He’s at least a few years older.”

“Then who is he, Rob?” Wally was tapping his foot impatiently, one eyebrow raised. A pang of regret and longing hit the restrained man. How long had it been since he’d seen _his_ Wally?

Everyone was staring at him, waiting for an answer or an explanation. He sighed. He had known he would be caught one day, but he never thought it would be this soon. Then again, he hadn’t counted on a speedster entering the fray. “Robin is wrong. I _am_ him. But from two years from now.”

“You’re a _time traveler?_ ” Beast Boy’s eyes lit up in awe.

“How did you get here?” Robin pressed. “And why did you steal the Red X suit?”

“That deals with information about the future, kid.”

“And?” Raven was standing menacingly in a dark corner, her hood pulled over her eyes.

“And I don’t think you want to hear about it. The future isn’t exactly all sunshine and rainbows.”

Starfire looked disconcerted. “But I fixed the future. I no longer disappear.”

“While you may have stopped that outcome, a far worse one took its place.”

“Just tell us the most important points on why you stole the suit, how you got here and why.” The Boy Wonder’s eyes were narrowed, waiting for an explanation.

“Fine. It all started a year ago. Well, really two years from now…”

* * *

  
  


“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Wally waved his hand in the time machine’s general direction while stuffing his face with a bologna sandwich. “Isn’t messing with time...I don’t know...generally frowned upon?”

Dick was placing various items in a bag, preparing for his trip to the past. “It’ll be fine, Wall. I already made a foolproof plan. All I have to do is steal the Red X suit before Gemini can get their filthy hands on it, and keep it safe.”

“But you won’t be able to come back!”

“If all goes according to plan, this future won’t exist for me to come back to.”

“So that’s just it? We all die?”

“No, Walls, you...you’ll still exist. Just, not _this_ you.”

The speedster snorted and rolled his eyes. “Wow, that sure makes me feel better.” He watched Dick for another minute before speaking again. “Listen, I know you want to go and ‘fix’ things so that everyone’s still alive, but maybe you should just move on. We can still make this world here and now better without -”

“You don’t understand,” the acrobat snapped. Memories of Starfire’s charred and maimed body flashed through his mind. He couldn’t live in a world where she didn’t exist. If that meant giving up his life to go back in time and stay there forever, he’d do it. “You still have Jinx. I…”

Wally’s face softened. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean...I couldn’t imagine life without her.”

Finished with his packing, he slung the bag over his shoulder. “It’s fine. I understand what you were trying to say. But can you honestly tell me we can fix things in the present?” He motioned towards a muddy window that barely let any light in. “Look around. The Justice League is dead. All heroes who aren’t suicidal or mentally insane hide, trying to make a difference from the shadows, knowing that if they’re caught they’ll wind up like your uncle and Bruce. Buried in the ground. How could we _ever_ hope to stop this?”

“Wow.” The two men looked over to where the new voice had come from. A lithe girl with pink hair and cat-like eyes was striding towards them. “When did the Boy Wonder give up on hope?”

“Hey, Jinx!” Wally enveloped her in a hug. “What’s new topside?”

She frowned. “Gemini caught another hero. He was trying to stop them from taking a little girl’s teddy bear - her only possession.”

Dick shook his head. Things seemed to be growing worse each day. Gemini agents would harass or torture the innocent people in any way they could. Not only to prove their superiority, but to draw out any heroes that might be in the neighborhood.

“So, I take it Dick’s going back in time now?”

“Yeah. I tried to talk him out of it, but he won’t listen.”

“I wouldn’t expect him to.” She looked the acrobat in the eye. “If someone has their heart set on something, they have to do it. Nothing can change their mind.”

He nodded at her, walking towards the big machine Cyborg had built over the past month. He was sad that his former teammate wasn’t in the bunker at that moment. He wouldn’t get to say goodbye before he left. Booting up the time machine, he waved one last farewell to Jinx and Wally before walking through the glowing blue portal it generated.

He felt a rush of air and a falling sensation before he was jolted onto a sidewalk. It was late at night and few people were about. Running into a corner store, he asked the kid at the desk what day it was.

“Uh...March sixth.”

“Yeah, yeah, but what’s the _year?_ ”

“Two thousand four?” The kid seemed confused by his question. _Well, I guess I would be confused too if a random stranger ran up to me asking what year it was._

A giant smile forming on his face, he glanced at the kid’s name tag. It read, Johnny Smalls. “Thanks Johnny, you’ve made my day.”

“Um...you’re welcome?”

Dick raced outside, pure joy blooming inside him. _It worked! I'm in in the past! I can stop the future from ever happening!_ Looking up at the dark, moonlit sky, he found himself laughing uncontrollably, emotions he hadn’t felt in forever rushing over him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, y'all! I hope you like it so far. This story mainly focuses on my theory of who Red X is. I'm also one foot in the Jason Todd boat, but I think that a future Dick Grayson is much more likely.
> 
> I appreciate any and all feedback!
> 
> Edit: I re-watched the the episode X and noticed that there were hints to it being closer to fall or spring, so I changed the chapter a little.


	2. X Marks Titans Tower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that Dick Grayson has successfully transported himself to the past, he must complete his mission...
> 
> Stealing the Red X suit.

“Wait, wait, wait,” Beast Boy interrupted. “Who’s Gemini? And what do they have to do with the suit?”

“Gemini is an evil organization. They used to just be a myth, a whisper from the criminal underworld. They didn’t have the funds or technology to complete their goal: world domination. But that all changed when they managed to get their hands on the Red X suit. They reverse engineered it, figuring out how to create weaponry even more advanced than what was in the suit. They used the original suit to steal enough funds to mass produce it, creating an army of stealthy thieves, which they utilized to take over America. Their working on conquering the rest of the world - or, were, back when that timeline existed.”

“You mentioned that I - along with countless others - am deceased in your future,” Starfire’s brow was furrowed. “How did this happen? Surely the Justice League -”

“They were offworld when Gemini launched their first attack.” His heart ached with the memory. “The Teen Titans were one of the first groups to respond. We fought well with the help of Titans East and many honorary Titans. But there was a point when our defense was weak, and they managed to capture you, Starfire. I - we spent every waking hour searching for you, but by the time we found you…” Tears sprang up but he forced them back down. It wouldn’t do any good to cry about it now. “By the time we found you, you had already been their prisoner for seventy-two hours. In that time, they tortured you, burned you alive, and set you out in front of town hall as an example.”

They were all silent, staring at Dick. Different ranges of emotions were displayed on each of their faces, but o they all had in common was horror. Even Raven, who to the untrained eye looked a little startled had traces of it if you looked close enough. Finally Kid Flash broke the silence.

“What did you do after arriving in the past?”

He was grateful for the change of subject. “I immediately got to work on infiltrating Titans Tower...”

* * *

The large, T-shaped structure across the bay was dark and imposing against the pinkening sky. Dick was waiting in the water beneath the dock, dressed in swimming apparel. Five shapes flew over the body of water, two being carried by the others. He pressed himself lower, his belly brushing the sandy bottom. They passed overhead, the time traveler remaining undetected. After he was sure they were gone he let out a sigh of relief.

Slipping the small breathing apparatus over his mouth from where it had previously hung around his neck, he began to move through the water with strong strokes. After seven minutes of fast paced swimming he reached a small island. He slowly pulled himself onto the shore, hiding behind a rock. Looking up at the humongous tower he felt an ache of longing.  _ You can’t think about that anymore. If your mission succeeds, they’ll all be fine. _

But there was a tiny voice in the back of his skull, one he wished wasn’t there.

_ What about me? _

He shook his head, purging the selfish thought from his mind. It didn’t matter that he was throwing his life away, never to go back to his time. Having his friends live was all he needed. All he wanted.

At least, that’s what he had to keep telling himself.

Scanning the path for surveillance cameras, he found only one which would be quite easy to avoid. There was also a motion sensor, but as long as he didn’t take the most obvious path towards the tower he would be fine. Had Titans Tower always been this easy to infiltrate? Dick recalled a strong feeling of safety whenever he was inside, but looking at the poor defenses, he saw why it was so easy for Gemini to steal the suit.  _ Why didn’t I at least add a boobytrap or something? _

Slinking across the grass out of the camera’s view, he reached the entrance to the tower. He typed in the password and the heavy, nigh unbreakable steel door swung open. With a hesitation he refused to register, he stepped inside.

It was darker than he remembered and the air seemed empty and foreign. Dread crawled over his skin like a million tiny ants. If he felt like this at the entrance, would he even be able to function when he entered the rooms he had spent most of his time in? Coming here had been a bad idea. He didn’t really  _ need _ to take the suit. He could simply watch over the tower from a distance. A guardian angel ready to come and protect -”

_ No. _ He internally punched himself for such a stupid and cowardly idea. He  _ had _ to do this. He had gone through plans and simulations hundreds - no,  _ thousands _ of times in preparation for this day. The safest, most foolproof plan...was to steal the suit.

His footsteps echoed through the halls like water dripping in a cave. There was a seed of apprehension blossoming inside him. What if they returned sooner than expected? What if he got the date wrong and Gemini already had the Red X costume? He found himself jumping at even the smallest of sounds. After what seemed like an eternity but in reality was only a couple of minutes, he found himself at the entrance to the lounge.

_ Alright, if I remember correctly it should be to the left. _ Pivoting on his heel, he walked down the hall. Memories played in the back of his mind; There was Beast Boy, prepping for yet another ridiculous prank with Raven chastising him; And over here, Cyborg was dusting off a door frame, singing a tune as he worked; And finally, Starfire zoomed past with Silky in her arms, headed for the kitchen. But all of these were ignored, for his attention and determination grew stronger with each step he took. The thought of being so close to the suit invigorated his resolve.

Right. Left. Through the tiny, almost unnoticeable hallway. Another left. He didn’t need to think about it. It was practically muscle memory. One...two...three...four...there!

He stopped in front of the fifth door in the hallway. It looked like every other entrance in the building. Nothing special.

But that was because everything notable lay within.

Sliding open the steel door, Dick coming face-to-face with the dusty dark that engulfed the room. If he squinted he could make out a giant circular vault door two and a half yards in front of him. Groping for a light switch on the wall next to him, his fingers flicked it upwards and a blinding light shone over the room. Blinking, his eyes slowly adjusted and he made his way towards the vault.

The lock required a special keycard, one that he had taken with him from the future. He reached his hand into the pocket of his full body swimsuit and felt around. His face turned white as a ghost.

He had left it at the hotel.

He sighed, facepalming at his stupidity.  _ On to plan B then. _ He grabbed three small round explosives from his pocket and placed them on the hinges of the vault door.

He -

* * *

“Hold up!” Beast Boy exclaimed. “You remembered to take explosives, but not the  _ key?! _ ”

Dick glared at him. “Do you want to hear the rest or not?”

Beast Boy grumbled under his breath but nodded.

“Okay, as I was saying…”

* * *

He ran outside of the room and crouched down with his hands over his ears. A second later there was a loud explosion and a banging sound that made the walls shake. Peering around the entrance, he saw that the vault door had been blown straight off the wall and now lay on the ground.

But what really captured his attention was the black suit now on display before him.

He snatched the suit and slipped it over his swimsuit. Turning it on, he checked the amount of Xenothium left.  _ About four fifths left. Good. _ That was more than enough to get him out and away from the tower before the Titans returned. The acrobat ran to a nearby window and teleported to the ground below. The suit wouldn’t work in water, but he hoped he could teleport at least most of the way across the expanse of water. Taking a deep breath, he focused on the dock he had hidden under earlier and pushed the button on the belt.

Suddenly he was on that very dock, the sudden shift in surroundings causing him to feel slightly dizzy. He could hear cheering in the distance, which meant the Teen Titans must have captured the villain.

He ran into a nearby alleyway and began stealthily making his way back to his hotel.

_ Mission accomplished. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long. I was procrastinating :P  
> I also made a whole page of complete and utter trash filler!  
> Hope you enjoyed! I'll (hopefully) work on the next chapter as soon as possible!


End file.
